Up for upbeat island tunes? Bounce on over to Ukulele Festival in Waikiki this weekend

By Maureen O'Connell Jul 20, 2012

If you’re in the Waikiki area this Sunday (July 22), expect to see many passersby toting ukuleles. If you enjoy upbeat ukulele music (... and who doesn't?), follow the musical crowd to Kapiolani Park Bandstand. The42nd annual Ukulele Festival Hawaii will be under way from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The festival’s stage performance lineup includes two dozen musical acts, ranging from internationally known ukulele virtuosos to local celebrities and an ukulele orchestra of hundreds of students, mostly children.

Among the headliners: Grammy award-winning singer/musician James Ingram, known for hits such as Just Once, One Hundred Ways, Somewhere Out There, Yah Mo B There, and Baby, Come to Me. In 1994, Ingram (pictured, above) co-wrote the festival theme song, Come Join Us, with festival founder Roy Sakuma.

Away from the stage, the free festival will feature an ukulele booth where you can learn strum basics, displays and giveaways, food booths, activities for children, and various merchandise, such as collectible pins, T-shirts and recyclable tote bags.

Free parking and shuttle service will be available from Kapiolani Community College to Kapiolani Park Bandstand and back, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Also, for information about a real-time broadcast of the event online, click here. For additional information about the nonprofit Ukulele Festival Hawaii, click here.